The Atlanta Braves couldn't complete a three game sweep falling 5-4 in the series finale to the Baltimore Orioles. After trailing throughout the first five innings, the Braves rallied to take the lead with a four run sixth. The lead was short lived as the Orioles grabbed the lead right back with a Mark Reynolds home run off of Atlanta reliever Scott Proctor.
Baltimore grabbed an early lead in the third inning when pitcher Zach Britton homered off of Brandon Beachy giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. After a couple of singles by J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis, Mark Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly extending the lead to 2-0 for the Orioles.
The Orioles tacked on another lone run in the fifth inning but it could have been much worse for the Braves. Pitcher Britton led off the inning with an infield single. J.J. Hardy was then hit by a Beachy pitch setting the table for Nick Markakis who doubled to deep right scoring Britton. With runners at second and third with no one out, Beachy rallied to retire the next three batters without allowing anymore damage. Freddie Freeman made a nice play reaching into the camera well in foul territory on the first base side to retire Adam Jones. Beachy then struck out Mark Reynolds and got Derek Lee to pop out to shortstop to end the inning.
Atlanta finally broke through in the sixth inning. Britton walked Chipper Jones to lead off the inning and Brian McCann followed with a single. Freddie Freeman then brought home Atlanta's first run with a solid single to center that chased Britton from the game. New pitcher Jim Johnson got Dan Uggla to fly out to left for the first out of the inning but Nate McLouth followed with a single to right that loaded the bases. Atlanta scored its second run on a Julio Lugo ground out to short before Eric Hinske slugged a pinch hit two run single to center that gave Atlanta its only lead of the game 4-3.
Scott Proctor came on to pitch for Atlanta and sandwiched strikeouts to both Hardy and Adam Jones around a Markakis single. Proctor then made a mistake to Mark Reynolds who hit a long home run to left scoring Markakis and putting the Orioles back in front for good 5-4.
Nick Markakis tied a career high with five hits in the game. Reynolds hit his 18th home run of the season and added three RBI's. For Atlanta, Jordan Schafer and Brian McCann each recorded two hits in the game.
Jim Johnson gets his fifth win of the season while Scott Proctor suffers his second loss of the season. Baltimore's Kevin Gregg worked a perfect ninth to earn his 15 save of the season.
Atlanta opens a series with the Colorado Rockies tomorrow. Tommy Hanson will try for his 10th win of the season and will be opposed by Ubaldo Jimenez.